Bravo Zulu Tango Eight
by Ozzyols
Summary: We know what we saw when Jenny sent Tony undercover.  But what didn't we see?  These chapter based ficlets centre around all the little things that might have happened.
1. Preface

**Bravo Zulu**

~ A Naval signal, conveyed by flaghoist or voice radio,  
>meaning "Well Done" ~<p>

oXoXoXo

This series of chapters is set from just Post Hiatus Part 2 (3.24) through to about Internal Affairs (5.14).

It's designed to be one Authors exploration of different elements not seen in the show relating to the ongoing assignment that Tony had working the "La Grenuoille" case for Jenny.

These are the bits we didn't see, but I kind of hoped happened in the background.

I own none of the characters from NCIS, (however I would be open to a rental for a weekend of a couple of them).

Feedback is always welcome and appreciated.

oXoXoXo


	2. Genesis

oXoXoXo

NCIS Director Jenny Shepard stared blankly at the SITREP folder spread out on the desk before her. Months, years even, of careful investigation was finally starting to pay off, but still she couldn't seem to get all the pieces to fit nicely into a neat little package… and it was frustrating her.

She almost squirmed in her seat. She was the Director of a Federal Government Agency, then why did she feel like a teenager trying to sneak out of the house?

_Because in some circles what you are considering doing would be seen as an abuse of power,_ a biting sarcastic, if somewhat accurate, part of her subconscious chided her. Jenny had learned long ago to ignore that little part of her brain – but she still hadn't managed to shut it up completely.

Mentally shaking herself Jenny returned to the information detailed in the report. Special Agent Emma Phillips had put together a good packet; but then Jenny expected no less. Emma had been the last Probie Bill Decker had taken under his wing before retiring Stateside and he always did know how to train a new agent. Now, because of that training, after nearly twelve years finally the pieces were starting to come together. Twelve years was a long time to wait to get answers… justice… revenge… Call it what you would, Jenny Shepard was going to have it.

Dates, times, places, all laid out before her, a timeline of one mans activities for the last nine months. All evidence pointing to the identity of an international arms dealer known only by the code name La Grenouille – _The Frog_. All evidence, including his given pseudonym, had pointed to the fact that her target was going to French or at least of French descent. Unfortunately Agent Phillips confirmation of his genealogy was a hollow victory, it still didn't put Jenny any closer to the man. But at least now she had a place to start and a dossier of potential ammunition to use against the man she now knew as Rene Benoit.

Slowly pushing herself away from the desk, Jenny rose and headed over to the sideboard. The day had been long; hell… the week had been long. Pulling down a tumbler with one hand and grabbing a bottle with the other, Jenny poured her self out a long shot of Bourbon and tossed it back in one quick move. About to replace the bottle on the shelf Jenny paused. "Ah hell" pouring another shot. Stoppering the bottle and replacing it, Jenny walked back to her desk and sat down. She'd gone through nearly an entire bottle in five days. That wasn't good, but then, it hadn't been a good week.

It had started normally enough, Intel had come through from one of her agents that an Abu Sayyaf terrorist had infiltrated a vessel associated with Sealift Command. A week later and Jenny was still regretting sending Jethro's team in to investigate.

It had ended with Gibbs being comatose by a bomb and ultimately the death of 20 innocent men.

It had been naive of her not to have read Gibbs' file when she had first taken on the role of Director nearly a year ago. Yes, part of that reason was self-preservation. Documents outlining her years working as Gibbs' Probie and then partner would of course be present. But had she opened that damned file a few months early, might the knowledge she had learned about Shannon and Kelly Gibbs have helped her in bringing her friend out of a coma earlier? Might it have helped bring Gibbs back into the here and now, not living in a world of fifteen years past? Might the knowledge that the person Gibbs had spoken to wasn't Galib, but in fact Pin Pin Pula, have come out earlier and given them a chance to stop him from getting on the _Cape Fear_?

Jennifer Shepard – Director of NCIS, accepted the outcome of Welsh's operation and saw it as a job that needed to be done. Yes there had been collateral damage in the death of nineteen civilian targets.

Jenny Shepard – NCIS Agent and human being, saw the irresponsible and reckless attitude of the Deputy Director as an unacceptable outcome with a catastrophic toll and agreed one hundred percent with the fury that had radiated of the man who had stood beside her as they watched the _Cape Fear_ destroyed by a mad man.

Jennifer Shepard – Director, stood calmly by as she watched the passion and energy of her Senior Team Leader leeched out of him in front of her very eyes and knew what was coming.

Jenny Shepard – Agent and friend wanted nothing more than to beg her friend, mentor, former lover to give it some time and stay.

Yes, the last week had been hell. And now this new information about La Grenouille wasn't making things any better.

Sipping the Bourbon this time, Jenny stared out her window overlooking the harbour mentally lost in a tangled pathway of decisions. The opportunity to get someone close to Rene Benoit was too good to miss, even if the timing was monumentally bad.

She ran her options through her mind. It was like planning a great game of chess, trying to predict the outcome given every possible movement. Yes she could see how different pieces of the game would react given the circumstances. One person's path lead to one outcome, someone else's to another. Faces flashed before her eyes as she ran each scenario through her mind. But no matter how often she ran them, her thoughts always returned to the same person. The _only_ person who she considered truly suited for what she was going to ask.

"Damn you Jethro!" she muttered, wishing not for the first time that Gibbs was still here to act as a sounding board.

Gulping down the remains of the Bourbon, Jenny reached over and hit the intercom button.

"Cynthia. I need the personnel file on Agent Anthony DiNozzo."

oXoXoXo


	3. Decisions

**Decisions**

oXoXoXo

He'd been at the job for just over a week and he already felt he was making a hash of it.

The reality that Gibbs wasn't coming back was only just starting to sink in to most people in the office, and almost overnight it had changed the way staff seemed to look at him. Tony DiNozzo interim Team Leader was fine; it was just the idea of having to deal with him full time that people seemed to baulk at.

Sitting in his car looking out over the parking lot towards the NCIS Home Office, part of Tony – a small part – wanted nothing more than to turn over the motor of his Mustang and burn rubber out of the Navy Yard.

_You'll Do_.

Not the most awe-inspiring words a retiring boss could say to his heir apparent. Tony kind of felt like _Prince John_ to Gibbs's _Richard the Lion-heart_. At some level he was fully expecting Ziva or McGee to go all Robin Hood on his ass any day soon and "liberate the downtrodden from the Evil Usurper to the Crown".

Tony made a mental note. No more Errol Flynn/Basil Rathbone DVD's before bed.

Reaching back Tony slapped himself across the back of his head. _Time to get some perspective_. What made Gibbs a good leader?

Likeability wasn't high on the list. Tony had seen Leroy Jethro clear entire rooms just be walking in with that trademark stare of his. That being said, Tony couldn't think of a time when he didn't actually like the Boss.

Communication? Scratch that off the list. Gibbs personified the 'strong silent' type. Tony's conversation with Gibbs during his recent run-in with the inside of an FBI holding cell was testament to that. The man hadn't said a damn word the entire time, but still managed to make Tony feel better. Okay so maybe he was a good communicator… sort of.

But Gibbs still had it. Whatever 'it' was. Running through the list of attributes Tony admired in a leader himself he suddenly began to see the answer to his own question.

Honourable; Tony had never met a man who better fit the bill.

Good Heart; so yes he did have a habit of hiding behind a gruff exterior, but Tony had seen too many instances where Gibbs softer side inadvertently came through – usually involving animals and small children – but it was there.

Forthright; Gibbs wouldn't just call a spade a spade, he'd more than likely tell you the make and model as well!

Trustworthy; there was no person on the planet Tony would prefer to have at his six… only now…

A lump formed unexpectedly in the Senior Field… Team Leaders throat. The idea of going into a situation and not having Gibbs there, or not being there for Gibbs was still unsettling to Tony.

"Oh come on DiNozzo! It's not like he's dead or anything! He's probably boozing it up in Baja with Franks right now!" he snapped at himself.

Flinging the door to his Mustang open, Tony instantly reached over to grab his pack from the bench seat behind him. As his hand closed over open air, it took a moment for him to remember that he'd left it at home today. Another adjustment he was coming to terms with. Traditionally the Lead Agent didn't carry a pack into the field. Tony silently amended himself; traditionally _Gibbs_ didn't carry a pack into the field. But then he wasn't Gibbs, as he had been told on oh so many occasions over the past week. There was nothing in the articles of NCIS procedure that prevented a team leader from carrying a service pack, so Tony made a note to make sure that he remembered to bring the pack with him tomorrow. Screw what others thought.

Sighing, Tony climbed from his car and locked the door behind him as he made his way across the lot to the office.

Smiling cheerfully at Security as he passed through screening, Tony decided to forgo the elevator and take the stairs. He wanted to keep himself in better shape now that he had taken on the reigns of the team, and last nights mushu-to-go wasn't going to do anything for his waistline.

Pausing briefly at the door that led into the passage off the squad room Tony took a couple of deep cleansing breaths to steady his slightly increased heart rate before stepping out onto the floor. Taking the stairs did have one other slight advantage. It put him in the position to sneak up on McGee and Ziva.

"Oh what fun to have today." Tony chuckled as he moved down the hall surprisingly happier from having taken the stairs. Exercise really did release endorphins.

A statement from inside the staff break out area halted Tony mid stride.

"Did you hear that Ben Robinson flew in from Yokosuka last night?" an unidentifiable female voice said.

"No, really? Wow!"

Tony couldn't fail but recognise the dumbfounded tone in Tim McGee's reply.

There was the slurp of someone taking that first stinging sip of a hot beverage and a murmured "Mmhmm."

Ben Robinson? Tony felt his heart clench and sag instantly at the same time.

"Damn that's hot!" the woman's voice piped. "Yeah, I saw him last night when I was dropping my niece at Reagan. Man, I haven't seen him in years. Still the charmer I gotta say."

"What's he doing back in DC?"

"Don't know, but he said he's got a meeting with the Director this morning, so rumour has it that you'll be seeing him at some point today." There was no hiding the implied emphasis on the '_you'_.

Tony suddenly felt like the bottom had dropped out of his world. Ben Robinson was the Lead Agent at the Far East office in Japan. No three guesses as to what might bring him back stateside. The days of Anthony DiNozzo Lead Agent were well and truly numbered.

"You don't think?"

The incredulity in McInnocent's voice was almost too painful for Tony, who had to physically stop himself from stepping into the room and reaming his Junior Agent out. Was McGee really that naïve?

"Look Tim, all I'm saying is what I've seen and heard around the office. If there is a reshuffle and the pieces fit to make a new picture in the puzzle, who am I to comment?" Tony could hear her sneer without needing the benefit of a visual.

_No one, you back biting little bitch._ Tony snarled under his breath. He didn't want or need to hear any more. The weight of command wasn't so much a weight to be borne on his shoulders anymore, it had become a ball and chain around his ankles, his feet suddenly leaden.

Turning back the way he came Tony decided that today was not the day for joking. If he was going to be taken out of the game and benched, he was going to do it with the facets of Gibbs leadership that he admired most.

Rounding the corner into the bullpen, Tony was privately relieved to see his team's desks empty. His team… wouldn't be saying that for much longer. Instinctively Tony moved towards his old desk and stopped. He thought he'd broken himself of that particular habit over the past three days – apparently not. Redirecting his gaze to his current desk assignment, Tony walked over and sat down heavily behind his former bosses L shaped desk.

oXoXoXo

Tony was nose deep in reports when Ziva and McGee returned to he bullpen shoulder to shoulder in tight formation, speaking in low quick tones. Stealing a glance from under his lashes Tony observed both agents surreptitiously glancing in his direction, trying not to draw his attention.

McGee was obviously filling Ziva in on the good news. Tony mused bitterly.

"You got the warrant for those bank records yet McGee?" he barked without looking up.

"Still waiting on them B… er… Tony."

"Wait quicker." The sting of McGee adjusting his title made his reply come out harder than he would have liked. "Ziva, You got Commander Davis's statement yet?"

"I am going to meet with him today Tony."

"Good."

Tony flicked idly through the paperwork in front of him. His first case as lead was most likely going to be his last. An embezzlement case wasn't the juiciest of cases they had ever worked, but on reflection for a new team leader it was what Tony would classify a lucky break – especially when your team seemed to be happy enough to let you do the heavy lifting.

To say Ziva and McGee were being negligent to their duties would be wrong – even Tony had to admit that, but were they doing their jobs with the same vim and verve that they would have had Gibbs been sitting in his chair, not by a long shot.

Just another nail in the coffin of the short-lived career of Very Special Lead Agent Anthony DiNozzo Jnr.

oXoXoXo

Jenny leaned back in her chair and thought about her decision and decided on reflection that she was making the right choice.

The Benoit case was going to take a particular style of handling and a demonstrated set of specialised skills to pull it off. Reading DiNozzo's file most of last night had cemented Jenny's choice that Tony was the right man for the job.

Jenny had been in Europe when Gibbs had brought DiNozzo on board. So she hadn't been given the opportunity to know the Agent as a Probie, to watch him make those faltering first steps. However dissecting his file seemed to indicate that she wouldn't have seen much even if she had been there. From all reports when it came to the job, DiNozzo was the one to watch.

From entering Law Enforcement eleven years earlier Tony had worked his way up to Detective in the first six, before Gibbs saw fit to poach him apparently. Reading through his fitness reports going all the way back to his days on the Peoria PD Jenny saw the same thing over and over again, a wiseass with a sharp mind and an even sharper sense of observation and reproduction. DiNozzo it appeared, possessed an uncanny ability for mimicry. It had come as a small surprise to Jenny not to discover a Minor in Drama in DiNozzo's file. She would have bet good money that he'd taken drama in College.

All his undercover work had been exemplary, never once did the mark not believe the story Tony spun them. The Macaluso case in Baltimore; acting as small time sleaze Gus Bricker investigating the death of Sergeant Grimm; the information snatch at the pregnancy clinic for the Napolitano case; his willingness to chain himself to Jeffrey White – at the time a suspected petty thief; and most recently as Jean-Paul Rainer, hit man for hire.

Though the White, Napolitano, Grimm and Macaluso cases predated her association with DiNozzo, the evidence of a skilled undercover operative was readily available in the reports in his file. In each instance they read essentially the same. DiNozzo had excelled in creating a believable cover that stood up to the rigours of the assignment. DiNozzo's Captain from Baltimore described him hiding behind 'an unbreakable mask of lies and half-truths that put the target completely at ease'.

Jenny had witnessed first hand how easily Tony wore that mask like a second skin during the Rainer case. When Ziva had faltered and called Tony by his real name at dinner, it was DiNozzo who instantly snapped her back into role without breaking character. Watching the man for a better part of the year, the Director wondered if the mask was a second skin or something so intrinsically interwoven with his own personality that he didn't even know he was doing it.

Closing the file she smiled. She'd made the right choice. Tony would more than perfectly fit the bill for this assignment.

Beside her the intercom on her phone beeped into life.

"Director. Agent Ben Robinson to see you."

"Send him in Cynthia."

oXoXoXo

The day was becoming interminable. It was like _Ground Hog Day_ without the benefit of resetting itself so he could change the outcome. All morning the same things seemed to be happening over and over again.

The arrival of Ben Robinson seemed to be the catalyst for it all. The tall broad shouldered silvered haired agent with a twenty-four carat smile and easy personality brought staff out of the woodwork and onto the floor of the squad room. Did this guy know everybody? He couldn't seem to move three paces without recognising someone and having a hearty hello for them.

A childish part of Tony's ego chafed at the way everyone seemed to coo all over the newcomer. Even Ziva, who Tony _knew_ hadn't met Robinson before seemed to be under his thrall. What irked him the most was the nagging familiarity the agent had to Tony's Dad, that same easy-breezy-by-the-skin-of-your-teeth-ness.

Tony hated it. Not the man. Personally Tony liked Robinson, as an agent. He just wasn't sure how he was going to go with Robinson as his boss.

The first visitor came shortly after Robinson had disappeared up into the Directors office for their meeting, agents from other teams found excuses to come into his part of the bullpen and chat with either Ziva or McGee. Next came the veiled comments about how it would be great when a team had a strong leader, or a change is as good as a holiday, those sorts of sickly sweet viperish comments that only an office could breed. Tony gritted his teeth, smiled the best impersonation of his usual grin he could and kept on working on the Grant file.

When Mulvany from dispatch had come up personally to pass on his sympathies, Tony's camel broke its back.

Slamming his hands down on the desk and rising quickly to his feet, he glared at the stunned expressions on the people around him.

"I'm going for coffee." He snapped grabbing his wallet and credentials from the desk draw. Without waiting for a response Tony stormed out of the bullpen.

By the time he had gotten to the coffee shop that he'd known Gibbs to frequent Tony realised there might have been more than one reason his Boss had chosen it. It was just enough distance from the home office to provide a person with a temper to work some of it off. The walk had given the newly minted Lead Agent the time and space he needed to try and get some perspective. Okay he wasn't completely clear of all the hang-ups he'd accumulated today, but a good portion of them seemed to have disappeared.

"Jumbo Jamaican-Mocha with three sugars thanks." It was different to his usual Hazelnut Latte, but Tony liked living on the edge.

"Oh, hey Tony" a familiar voice said from his right hand side.

Turning Tony came face to face with the perpetually smiling personae of Jimmy Palmer.

"Hey Palmer." He replied, his tone flat even to his own ears

"Run away from home?"

Tony blinked. Had he heard the Autopsy Gremlin right?

"Pardon me?"

"Your expression. You look like someone who wants to head for the hills. So I asked if you'd run away from home, as it were."

"That obvious huh?" Tony replied, a mocking smile playing at his lips.

"Only to someone who saw the same expression in the mirror for about a month and a half." Palmer grinned as he reached out to take their now filled orders down off the counter and hand Tony his.

"So you've heard then?"

Sitting down at a sidewalk table outside the coffee shop, Jimmy motioned for Tony to join him.

"Only the dregs. We don't get much scuttlebutt down in Autopsy. Nothing really juicy anyway. How you feelin' anyway?"

"Like I had more fun when I had the plague."

"That good huh?"

Tony rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't sweat it." Palmer commented blandly as he to a sip from his coffee.

"That's easy for you to say, you spend most of your time in a cold store."

Palmer rewarded Tony's pitiful attempt at humour with a flat stare before answering. "What I mean is, I understand what you're going through."

"Really? You've had the rug of command yanked out from under you a time or two have you Jimmy Lad?" anger began to tinge Tony's voice.

"No. But I have followed in someone's footsteps and had the people who I work with doubt my right to be there. You might remember?" Palmer arched an eyebrow in DiNozzo's direction. "Don't tell me you didn't look at me the first day I came into NCIS and compare me to Gerald? Did anyone ever call him Autopsy Gremlin?"

Tony felt a gentle flush of shame touch the backs of his ears and he quickly studied the cup between his hands.

"See what I mean?" Jimmy continued. "You don't think I doubted my right to be there? Working with Dr Mallard is the best experience I've ever had – but I felt like eight thumbs and two toes when I started with him. I kept expecting Director Morrow to come down to Autopsy and tell Dr Mallard to toss my butt to the sidewalk. But he didn't – neither of them did. They gave me time and space to find my own way. So what I'm saying Tony is, you've got to give people time. They'll see what you can do."

The genuine sincerity in the young trainee ME's words were impossible not to smile at and despite himself Tony felt a tug at the corner of his mouth.

"You're a better man than I am, Gunga Jim."

Palmer ducked his head with a sheepish smile. "Well, I promised Dr Mallard I'd only be a few minutes. We're catching up on inventory that's been ignored over the past couple of weeks. It was good to talk Tony."

As Tony watched the younger man walk back up the sidewalk towards the Navy Yard he couldn't help but feel a little bit better. The innocence of youth he supposed. He sat at that little table out the front of the coffee shop and wondered how many times Gibbs had retreated to the small sanctuary this unlikely place seemed to offer. Minutes passed and finally Tony felt ready to face what ever came his way. Draining the last of his surprisingly good Jamaican-Mocha Tony tossed the empty cup in the Trash and started back.

oXoXoXo

McGee sat apprehensively at his desk. Every time the elevator dinged a sizzle of nervous energy sparked in the NCIS Agent. So far every time he'd breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't Tony. But it was going to be… soon…

"You have to face him McGee." Ziva commented without looking up from her computer.

"How did you?... never mind…" McGee got up and started pacing. "I'll give you twenty bucks if you do it." He stated finally.

"She gave the message to you."

"But you were standing right next to me." Tim replied, mortified to hear a faint whine in his voice.

"I am not an NCIS Field Agent, I am just a Liaison Officer." She shrugged.

McGee narrowed his eyes. "Nice card to play when the chips are down David!"

"I call them as I hear them McGee." Ziva replied, her face the picture of innocence.

"It's 'call them as I _see_ them' Ziva and you're still trying to dodge the bullet!"

"I don't see what the problem is." She shook her head. "All you have to do is pass on one simple message. You just have to tell Tony that the Director wants to see him as soon as he gets back."

The sudden smug smile on McGee's face answered any question that died unspoken on her lips.

"Does she indeed Officer David?" Tony's cool voice crooned from behind her.

Ziva winced. "La'azazel!" she muttered to herself. Glaring pointedly at the still smirking McGee, Ziva schooled her features into a suitably bland expression and turned around to face the Interim Team Leader.

"And what pray tell was the message our esteemed Director left for me?" Every word from Tony's mouth seemed to drip with understated sarcasm.

Ziva smiled politely. "She simply said that when you came back that we were to tell you she would like to see you in her office immediately."

DiNozzo's grey-green eyes flicked up to the mezzanine level. "Has she finished her meeting with Agent Robinson?"

McGee's smug expression didn't change as he answered Tony. "Yes. He left about fifteen minutes ago. Not long after you left actually."

Ziva noted with some astonishment that the look that Tony fixed on McGee would have done Gibbs proud and clearly unsettled the younger agent.

Without saying another word to either Agent, Tony walked off towards the staircase up to the Directors Office.

Watching their partner take two stairs at a time, Ziva turned back to a now slightly less sure of himself McGee.

"What do you think Tony will do?"

"I don't know, but knowing DiNozzo, it'll probably be something dumb!"

oXoXoXo

A knock on the door, made Jenny look up over the top of her glasses. "Enter."

The battleship grey door opened inward to reveal Anthony DiNozzo.

"You wanted to see me Director?" His tone was sharp, clipped.

"Yes, please come in and take a seat Tony."

Moving into her office and closing the door behind him, Tony walked over and positioned himself directly in front of her desk. He was as close to attention as a civilian could get, ramrod straight, eyes looking above and out the window behind her.

_This boy's been taking too many lessons from Jethro_ Jenny thought absently, as she pulled a file from her draw. "You're probably wondering why I wanted to speak to you?"

"I think it's pretty obvious Director."

Jenny blinked. Obvious? How the hell could it be obvious? "Really?

For the first time since he had come into her office DiNozzo looked DiNozzo…ish as he arched his eyebrows into a mildly sardonic grin.

"Look, I'll spell it out for you if that's the game you want to play, but to be perfectly frank with you Director, I'm not in the mood for playing games right now. So how's about I make it easy for you and step down. You can just say I support your decision and think it's the right move for the team and let's just move on. I'll clear my gear back to my old desk by close of business today."

Jenny cocked her head to one side and shook it slightly as if trying to clear something from her ear. _What the hell was DiNozzo on about?_ "Tony you've been working with Ducky and Abby for far too long, you're making less sense than the pair of them put together. What are you talking about, why should you be moving your desk?"

Now it was Tony's turn to shake his head. "You want Robinson to sit in my old desk?"

"No."

"No?"

"Yes."

"Hang on? So you _do _want Robinson to have my new desk then?"

"Why would Robinson be in your desk… either of them?" Jenny's head was beginning to hurt.

"If he's going to take over as Team Leader I'm assuming you're gonna want him to sit somewhere near the team?" Tony muttered in exasperation.

Jenny stared at the face of the man standing in front of her for a moment. The clenched jaw; the hint of pain and defiance around the eyes; the stiff posture – all the signs of someone expecting an occupational deathblow. "Aah" she said simply, pausing to remove her glasses, as the illusive penny finally dropped.

Tony raised his chin a shade and gritted his teeth tighter. If he kept going Jenny feared something would snap.

"Yeah." Pain and defiance gave way to a small flash of anger. "You were an Agent Director, you know how people talk, you weren't hoping on keeping it on the down low were you?"

Jenny needed to head this off, and quickly. "DiNozzo, it's not what you think."

"Isn't it?"

"No."

"Then what is it? Cause from where I'm standing it's looking exactly what I think. I've got a bunch of people out there who only seem to want to point out that _amazingly_ I'm not Gibbs." He laughed bitterly. "And now, a week after trying me out – without warning – you're calling Lead Agents back from Japan for meetings! I don't know what you think it looks like from the cushy side of the desk, but from here in the cheap seats it plain stinks!"

Tony cursed himself the moment he finished his tirade. In true DiNozzo fashion he'd open his mouth and managed to get both feet and most of his calves in it. He'd be lucky if he didn't get posted to Outer Mongolia.

Jenny felt for Tony, but still couldn't let an outburst like that go unmentioned. She accepted it from Gibbs, grudgingly, because he had been her mentor. DiNozzo was an entirely different kettle of fish. But that didn't mean she'd have to be a ball buster either.

"If you are quite finished Agent DiNozzo." Jenny snapped. From the look on Tony's face Jenny surmised that she wouldn't have give much in the way of chastisement. DiNozzo seemed well on the way to a health dose of mental self-flagellation. "I don't know what you think exactly goes on the _cushy side_ of this desk as you think of it, but yes, personnel decisions does go with the territory. That includes accepting the resignations of my staff." Jenny felt the corner of her mouth twitch momentarily as Tony visibly stiffened at the word resignation. "For example, when Ben Robinson handed his in to me today, I thanked him for his service and ordered Cynthia to prepare his retirement documentation."

Tony visibly swayed as if someone had hit him in the chest. His face remained the same stoic expression but he couldn't quite hide the naked relief that crept into his eyes.

"Now sit down you idiot before you fall down." Jenny chided gently. With no further objection, Tony all but slid into the chair still placed on the opposite side of Jenny's desk from her meeting with Robinson. "Did you really think I would be that quick to replace you Tony?"

Tony still dumbfounded by the Directors statement, opened and closed his mouth in a passible impression of a goldfish, trying, without much success to find coherent words.

Silent moments passed as Tony grappled to mentally confirm he had heard right. The cool touch of a glass being placed in his hand was the first indication that the Director had gone across the room to the liquor cabinet.

"Here, I think you need this."

Tony swallowed the contents of the glass without thought, gasping as the bite of the Bourbon coursed down his throat.

"Thanks" he rasped.

Jenny propped herself on the edge of her desk, next to the shell shocked Agent.

"Tony, I have to ask, what possible reason would you have to think that I was going to replace you?"

Her tone was gentle, almost like it had been when they had stood shoulder to shoulder just over a week ago in the Portsmouth ICU waiting for Gibbs to return to the land of the living. It was a side of the Director Tony wasn't wholly familiar with.

"It just seemed like the logical thing to do I guess?"

"Logical to who?" Jenny countered. "Have I given you any indication that you weren't who I wanted for this job? Wasn't it you who said I should take care of the Big Picture and let you handle the Two Reeler?"

Trust a woman to throw his words back in his face. "I just figured… I mean… now that people know Gibbs is gone for good, they just…" Tony was stumbling like tongue-tied teenager.

Jenny laughed which made Tony feel _so_ much better about the whole embarrassing situation.

"DiNozzo, you don't think that I didn't have people howling at my door baying for my blood when Morrow took his job at Homeland Security? You're lucky; you've just got to contend with snippy office gossips and, yes, a team that is suffering they've lost their rudder… for the moment. I had to deal with Directors and Politicians from every letter of the Alphabet and both sides of the fence! These are the kind of people who love looking for other people's dirty laundry. You've got it easy believe me."

Pushing herself away from the desk Jenny moved back around and sat down "I wouldn't replace you for the same reason Jethro wanted you in the first place and the same reason he left knowing his team was safe in your hands. You're a good leader Tony, a strong leader. I've not only seen it in your files, but I've seen it in you. Give the others time, they'll come around, you'll see."

Tony felt like twelve kinds of fool sitting there listening to Director Shepard extol his virtues, especially after making such a prize idiot of himself not minutes before. Mulling Jenny's words over in his head, a thought suddenly came to mind. He'd come into this meeting expecting to be replaced: expecting that was what the meeting was for. That clearly wasn't the case so… what the hell did the Director want with him?

As if reading his mind, Jenny picked up her glasses and opened the file that had lay forgotten on her desk.

"Now, despite running the risk of inflating your ego any further, what I actually wanted to talk to you about was an assignment that requires your rather specialised skills in the realm of undercover assignments… if you are interested?"

Tony ran his tongue across the back of his upper molars as a smile spread leisurely across his now relaxing features. This mightn't be such a bad meeting after all.

oXoXoXo


End file.
